Shekhar Suman's playful swipe at Bollywood: In the industry we are in, more clothes are taken off
Mumbai, June 4
Actor Shekhar Suman, who is currently seen hosting "Shekhar Tonite" discussing a growing chikankari clothing venture with Ali Fazal. As Ali spoke about expanding his online fashion brand beyond India, the chat show host couldn't resist taking a playful dig at the entertainment industry.
Shekhar first shared a video on the photo-sharing application, where Ali spoke about his clothing label and how it started from home.
Ali could be heard saying: "A small, cute brand of chikankari that we started from home. In fact, the name was an idea that my aunt (mumani) came up with."
He went on to add: "And we were running it from home. It is an online store now. We are now looking at expanding even further because there is a lot of demand. And not just in India but outside India as well."
To which Shekhar asked: "Do you do any pop-ups here and there?"
To which Ali said: "We've just started doing it."
Shekhar then playfully said: "You've just started doing it. That makes the two of us. But it's good. We are at least making people wear clothes. Otherwise, in the industry we are in, more clothes are taken off."
The veteran actor then captioned the video: "When two brands meet... one sells clothes, the other survives an industry that removes them."
Shekhar Tonite was created by Adhyayan Suman. It is after almost fourteen years, Shekhar has returned to the space of Late-Night Shows with the show.
Talking about Ali, the actor is set to reprise his role of Guddu Bhaiya in the movie adaptation of the "Mirzapur" franchise. The film is locked for a September 4 release.
"Mirzapur" follows Akhandanand "Kaleen" Tripathi, a crime boss and businessman who is the proverbial ruler of Mirzapur district in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, India.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I appreciate the humor but honestly, Bollywood needs to move away from this 'skin show' stereotype. There's so much good cinema coming out - like Mirzapur - where the focus is on storytelling, not just clothes. Shekhar Suman is right about the industry's obsession though.
Shekhar Suman coming back to late-night after 14 years - that's the real news here! He was the OG Indian talk show host before Kapil Sharma took over. And Ali Fazal's chikankari venture is brilliant - UP's embroidery is world-class, glad to see someone taking it global.
The irony is strong with this one - Shekhar himself started his career with films that had plenty of those 'clothes coming off' scenes. But chikankari is a great move by Ali, supporting Indian artisans. Let's hope both succeed - one in covering people, the other in... well, you know 😅
As someone who loves Indian fashion, I'm thrilled about chikankari going global! Ali and his team are doing what our artisans have needed for years - international exposure. Shekhar's joke was a bit outdated though, Bollywood has evolved a lot since his heyday.
Two legends having a laugh! But seriously, this whole 'clothes off' narrative is why parents still hesitate to let their kids join films. At least Ali Fazal is showing a different side - building something meaningful while acting. Also, Mirzapur movie confirmed for Sept 4? Count me
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